It’s been nearly 20 years since a train has stopped at Broadway Station in Burlingame during the weekday, and Caltrain officials said it will take raising the tracks there for that to happen again.
However, the $316 million project is still seeking funding through the federal government. Councilmember Emily Beach said the project is about 83% locally funded through Measure A’s half-cent sales tax. Beach said the project needs the rest of the funding before it breaks ground, anticipated in spring 2026.
“It is well within reach,” Beach said. “And we are going to get it done very soon.”
The grade separation project would raise the tracks to increase train efficiency, reduce noise, and improve overall safety and traffic congestion.
Casey Fromson, chief communications officer for Caltrain, said the grade separation would remove the holdout rule, which means only one train can be in the station at a time. If a second train approaches, it needs to stop ahead and wait. It would benefit Caltrain riders and vehicles traveling under the separation because it is safer and more efficient.
Mayor Michael Brownrigg said the council agrees with Caltrain’s recommendation not to restore service until there is a grade separation.
“We recognize that it would take a really bad intersection and not make it any better,” Brownrigg said.
Broadway at California Drive is notorious for its complicated series of intersections, the funnel effect into the business district from Highway 101 and the Caltrain gates when a train passes or stops there.
In 2005, Caltrain suspended weekday services on Broadway in Burlingame because of the holdout rule and low ridership. However, Commute.org provides a shuttle on weekdays, and weekend train service continues at the Broadway Station. The design of the grade separation anticipates completion by 2024, according to a Caltrain presentation to the City Council this week.
More than 70,000 vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists use Broadway daily — the average traffic delay during the weekday afternoon peak records around 5 1/2 minutes. While Caltrain is preparing to construct a grade separation at the Broadway intersection in Burlingame, the build will mean the loss of the historically perceived old Broadway train station, the current home of the Maverick Jack’s restaurant. Initially only a shelter, the station was built in 1907 by Ansel Easton to assist in developing his community.
“We do think, given what is going on over at our Bayside, that the Broadway Station is going to get a lot more use in the future, so we look forward to the day we have grade separation and functioning weekday train service,” Brownrigg said.
While the city waits for funding for the grade separation, Caltrain will roll out its new electric trains by next September. By fall 2024, the electrified plan will increase service in Burlingame by 14 more trains per day, totaling 75 trains. Caltrain will continue to service the Millbrae Station with 104 trains per day. Commute.org shuttles will continue from Broadway to Millbrae during weekdays. The weekend train service at Broadway Station will continue until the grade separation construction begins.
The electric trains will be equipped with Wi-Fi outlets at every seat. The service is smoother, quieter, and can accelerate and decelerate much quicker than the diesel train, which means more trains will be running more frequently, Fromson said.
The grade separation project could be completed by 2029.
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